Bachelor Peter Says His Mom Barb Didn't Cause His Breakup With Madison

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If Peter Weber's After the Final Rose special taught Bachelor fans anything, it's that there is absolutely no love lost between his mother and Madison. However, despite the notable hostility between the two of them, Peter claims Barb isn't the reason he and Madison broke up. The subject was broached in a paparazzi video obtained by Entertainment Tonight, where the pilot came to his mother's defense and insisted that she played no part in the fallout of his relationship with Madi.

"No. This is stuff between Madi and I, solely, 100 percent," he explained in the video. "And people will have their opinions but this is just between the two of us, and it's just a mutual respect and love. That's all." Peter also shared his thoughts on the idea of Barb getting her own reality show, given how intrigued (or alarmed) fans were by her toward the end of the season, stating that he "loves" the idea. "Everyone loves Barb. For sure [I'd do it with her]," he added.

That sentiment may come as a surprise to some fans, considering the palpable tension that existed between mother and son during ATFR. Barb held nothing back when it came to her feelings about Madi and her lack of confidence in their relationship. "He's going to have to fail to succeed... Everyone that knows him knows it's not going to work," Barb told Bachelor host Chris Harrison at the time.

Given the harsh words and overall demeanor that Barb showed to Madison on-camera, it'd be easy to see how all of that anger could create a strain on their relationship and ultimately lead to their breakup. But according to Peter, that's not how any of it went down at all, and Barb played no part in their decision to part ways. Because sure, if Peter has proven anything as the Bachelor, it's that his mother holds little sway in his decision making process.

Both Peter and Madison announced their split on Thursday, March 12 — just two days after the finale aired. No specific reason was given for the separation, though Peter hinted at the underlying cause in his Instagram post. "Madi and I have mutually decided to not pursue our relationship any further," he wrote. "Believe me this was not easy for either of us to be ok with, but after a lot of honest conversations, we have agreed that this is what makes most sense for the two of us."

That alone doesn't provide a ton of detail on the matter, though it's difficult to believe that Barb's name didn't come up in any of those "honest conversations." Yet it seems Peter is ready to let bygones be bygones and put the whole ordeal with his mom behind him. In the end, you could say that she was the one who ultimately walked away with his final rose.